A/N: Well then, it seems like the farther along I get in this story, the more time its taking me to update. But, I actually have a good excuse! I've been doing some writing on a new story (of the SPN/HP persuasion), and if all goes according to plan (which it might not), it should be up in a week... maybe. Don't hold me to that.

Anyway~! Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait; tell me watcha think of it in a review!

o0o

"Dean!" Harry cried, untangling himself from Alouran's arms and trying to stagger to his feet. He was too exhausted to do even that and Alouran snaked a hand around his waist, letting himself be used as a crutch for Harry to stand on.

Harry didn't know what Dean was thinking, but he knew the sight he made clutching onto Alouran without a shirt. Even now he was pressed against Alouran, the incubus with one hand on his hip to keep him from falling. Harry bit his lips as he stared into Dean's eyes, hoping beyond hope that the man hadn't yet jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Harry," Dean acknowledged, face blank and voice giving nothing away. His eyes flickered from Harry's face down to his naked and scarred chest then to Alouran and the arm wrapped around the shorter man's waist.

Alouran gave Dean a nod and easy smile, unbothered and uncaring of his innocent hold on Harry. "Dean! Meet your new Dark Prime Minister!" The incubus puffed out his chest in importance. Harry couldn't help but smile, amused by his friend's antics.

Dean appeared less than impressed, his eyes flashing when Alouran pressed Harry closer to his side. "That's nice," Dean dismissed, his voice developing a rumbling quality. He looked Harry dead in the eye and Harry frowned, finding no emotion there. "I just wanted to tell you that me and Sammy are leavin."

Harry's frown deepened, his forehead creasing as a cold sensation began to spread throughout his stomach. "Where are you going?" Dean didn't respond. "When will you be back…?" Again no response, and the coldness in his chest cemented into a block of ice that clogged his throat. "D-Dean?"

At last Dean's face changed, though not for the better. A single brow on his face lifted, his bland expression shifting to that of indifference. "Just keep doin what you were doin before you found us; befriend Dracula and Frankenstein and all your other little monster movie pals. Don't worry, we won't harm any of your 'children'; we had a deal after all." Harry was seized by a sudden sense of alarm as he realized what Dean was saying. "Take care of my amulet…" he said, his eyes on the small pendent Harry wore, even without his shirt. With those final words of departure, Dean turned on his heel and made to walk away.

"Wait!" Harry cried taking a step away from Alouran and releasing a sound of frustration when his legs wobbled, the incubus forced to once more grab him to keep him from falling. Dean didn't pause, but his gate slowed the slightest bit. "Dammit Dean, fucking wait!"

That did it. The hunter stilled, his entire body tensing. Finally, he released a deep breath and turned, his arms folded across his chest and face guarded. "Alright, I stopped. Now what?"

"You bastard," Harry growled, stepping away from Alouran and refuting the incubus when he tried to steady him. His feet were like cotton underneath him and the slightest wind would knock him over. He took a hesitant step forward, not looking away from Dean's gaze and grimacing as his muscles screamed in protest. On the second step he stumbled, Dean jerking as if he'd rush forward to help but Harry caught himself, face drawn down in concentration. He looked up at Dean, panting from the effort it had cost him to take those simple two steps. "You bloody bastard," Harry said again, voice choking as heat began building behind his eyes.

Dean blinked, the concern he had shown just moments before becoming lost to the wind as anger took its place. "I'm the bastard?"

"Yes you freaking prat," Harry exploded, "you're the biggest bastard I've ever had the displeasure of knowing!" His vision blurred at the edges but he ignored it, shaking his head to concentrate.

The look on Dean's face was stony, as if his features had been carved from the finest granite. His eyes were no better, the hazel darkened to a stormy brown as he fought to control the warring emotions waging on inside him. "Well that works out just fine for everyone then, doesn't it?" Dean growled, his face twisted in displeasure. "You can just snuggle up to that trench coat wearin, Tom Cruise lookin pretty boy over there and let me and Sammy get on with our lives."

"First of all," Harry began, ignoring Alouran's squawk of outrage, "I don't even know who 'Tom Cruise' is. Secondly, you continue to show your lack of common sense or faith in me if you think… if you think for even a second I'd…" He trailed off, that prickling back in his eyes and a choked quality to his words. Dammit, he wasn't supposed to be the one hurting here! He hadn't done anything wrong! "Alouran is like a brother to me Dean—something I thought you'd understand since you have a brother of your own!"

"What?" Dean whispered, all of the fight seeming to leave him at Harry's pained words. "I thought…"

Harry let out a morbid chuckle, a small grin on his face. "That's just it, Dean. You didn't think. You were going to abandon me… over what? A hug?" Again, Harry laughed, an almost hysterical note to it. Dean's face shown with concern and guilt as he realized just how much he'd managed to screw things up.

"Harry, I…" Drawing in a deep breath, Dean took a step forward, Harry watching him as one would a rabid dog. When Harry didn't protest, Dean took another step nearer, watching the smaller man for any signs of hostility. When he was within arm's distance of him, Harry's face was a mask of wary confusion.

"What are you doing?" he mumbled, not protesting in the slightest when Dean reached forward and placed a warm hand on his shoulder.

Dean smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Look, Harry… I'm an idiot; I know that. I'm sorry, alright?"

"No," Harry choked out, shrugging off Dean's hand on his shoulder. He took a step backward, lowering his head so that his hair covered his eyes—not only so he didn't see the hurt spark in Dean's eyes but so the man couldn't see the tears gathering in his. "Sorry just won't cut it. You were going to leave me, Dean… Everyone… everyone I've ever known has left me… and now you…?" He shook his head, hating when he gave a pitiful sniff.

"F-Fuck," Dean whispered, again reaching for him. But this time Harry didn't let him, he jerked backward, the action alone causing a needle to burry itself in Dean's heart. Hand still reaching outward, Dean frowned, realizing just how royally he had managed to mess things up. It was easy to miss because of the confident veneer he showed to the world, but Harry was still fragile and certain matters still needed to be handled with care—especially things such as abandonment.

How could he have forgotten? Harry had lost what was most dear to him on numerous occasions, and just when he was finding something to hold on to again, what did Dean do? He acted like his usual dickish self and managed to screw things up.

Dean lowered his hand, his eyes hooded as he took in Harry's small form. "Look, I know I was wrong and that sorry isn't good enough, but—I'm just not good at moments like this. Fuck, this is Sammy's territory. He'd just give you those big puppy dog eyes and you'd…" Harry still hadn't looked up from where he was staring, even when he pulled out the ace up his sleeve—Sam's puppy dog eyes.

"I think maybe we should separate for a while."

The quiet words spoken by Harry were like a gunshot to Dean's ears, except the pain caused by them was so much worse. Dean's eyes widened even as he felt his heart constricting, something inside of him screaming to stop this—to not let Harry go. "Harry, what—"

"It's what you wanted right?" Harry asked, looking up and trying to smile. But Dean looked past that, he looked into Harry's glistening emerald eyes and knew that this wasn't what the man wanted; then why…?

"No!" Dean growled, resting the urge to lash out. "I was being jealous and stupid! No, I don't want you to fucking leave! You were the one who got mad at me for this, and now you go and pull the same stunt? What the hell!"

Harry chuckled, his smile still in place even as Dean saw tears begin to gather on his lashes. "It's not like this is goodbye," he said. "It's just… till we meet again."

Dean gaped, staring as if Harry had grown another head. "So that's it? You're just gonna walk out on us? Me and Sammy?"

"Don't make me out to be the bad guy," Harry growled, his smile dropping. "I mean, look at us Dean! Here we are, arguing over a stupid misunderstanding when… when even now more Dark creatures are being slaughtered, and somewhere out there, that yellowed-eyed demon is gathering strength." Dean opened him out to retort but Harry cut him off.

"Don't deny it—you told me you think he's still alive and I think so too. And when he comes back—because he will—do you think he's gonna be happy? No. He'll want revenge. So don't you see Dean? We just don't have time for this; not when I have an entire country to fix and you have evil sons of bitches to kill." Harry laughed, but Dean didn't join in, his face contorted as his clenched his fists tight.

"So after we kill this demon and you… do whatever it is you're doing, then…?"

Harry sighed, giving a slight shake of his head. "I'm not a Seer, Dean, I can't say what's gonna happen down the road, but I know we'll see each other again soon—and then?" He gave a small grin, letting Dean's imagination fill in the rest. The hunter's eyes seemed to darken, a spark appearing in them.

Before Harry could react, Dean took two purposeful steps forward and grabbed the back of his neck, angling Harry's face upward. Then, their lips were connected and Harry released a quiet gasp of shock before relaxing into it. Dean felt a current of electricity flow through him, slanting his mouth against the smaller man's and letting his tongue trace along his lips. Harry shivered in his grip, a low moan breaking free of him as he parted his own lips, a hesitant tongue coming forth to brush against Dean's with gentle strokes. Dean gave an appreciative hum, and though he would like to take things further, now was not the time.

Sighing, Dean disconnected his lips from Harry's and rested their foreheads together, staring down into his soul mate's wide and glazed eyes. "I've been wanting to do that since we left that motel back in Manning," he admitted, chuckling.

Harry just blinked, still too overcome to do much else. "I've been wanting you to do that since I saw you in that clearing in Manning."

Dean drew back, an eyebrow raised. Harry smiled up at him and he laughed, shaking his head. "So," Dean began, his reluctance to part ways obvious, "are you going to say goodbye to Sammy?"

Biting his lip, Harry stared over his shoulder where Alouran stood, a large grin on his face where he had been watching without shame. With a roll of his eyes Harry once more stared forward and shook his head. "No… I don't… I don't think I'd be able to leave if I saw Sam."

"Ouch," Dean said, gripping his chest as though in pain. "Should I be offended?"

"You're cute," Harry smiled, "but you don't have the puppy dog eyes."

Dean chuckled. "Gee, thanks… but I understand. Those eyes are killer."

A pleasant atmosphere descended over the two, so at odds with the heated and tense argument they had been having mere minutes before. Neither wanted the moment to end, for when it did, it would truly be goodbye. In the end, it was Harry who sighed and took a step backward, a frown on his face as he stared at Dean.

"Well, I guess this is it," Harry said, his voice low. Dean nodded and Harry tried to smile, but it soon fell away. "So until next time?"

Dean cracked a small grin. "Until next time."

Still, Harry didn't want to leave and wracked his brain for reasons to draw out the conversation. "Tell Sam I'm sorry and that I wanted to say goodbye." Though Dean's expression showed how much he would enjoy that, he nodded. "Oh, and call me, alright?" He glared for good measure, knowing that to Dean such personal calls were a sort of taboo.

The hunter raised his arms in surrender, eyes light with amusement. "Don't worry; I'll call this time… promise."

"You better," Harry muttered, knowing that all had been said and that soon they would part ways. With a final smile, Dean saluted and Harry grinned, nodding. Dean turned and began walking away, his hands thrust deep into his jacket pockets.

As Harry watched him disappear behind a pile of cars he grasped the amulet worn around his neck in his hands, knowing that he would always have a piece of his soul mates with him, no matter how far apart they were. Alouran came to stand beside him, a comforting presence at his side.

"Am I making the right choice here, Al…?"

Alouran sighed and placed a hand on his bare shoulder. "I can't answer that, but no matter what you choose to do, I'll support you."

Nodding, Harry allowed himself to be supported by Alouran's arm, his previous weariness returning with a vengeance and making him woozy. "Good," he breathed, once he'd steadied himself. "Then let's get out of here."

"Where are we going?" Alouran asked, chuckling when Harry shivered and summoned his shirt to him to slip it over his head. Harry struggled to get his head through the piece of clothing but finally managed, cursing as he did so.

"To Luther and his coven," Harry said, smoothing down the shirt.

Alouran quirked an eyebrow. "…Why?"

"…I'll tell you once we get into town, alright? I really need to shower."

Laughing, Alouran agreed, but a single thought gave him pause. "Wait, are you recovered enough to Apparate?"

Harry grinned and stared up at him. "Nope! I guess this means you'll have to carry me."

"Why do I get the feeling you just want to fly?" Alouran asked, rolling his eyes. Either way, he smiled, his wings unfurling from behind his back to stretch out to their impressive full length. The wings absorbed all light that hit it, reflecting nothing. The leathery wings beat twice, creating a small gust of wind. Harry watched on, a large grin on his face.

"You're like, my best creation, you know that?"

Alouran chuckled, giving his friend a fanged grin. "Suck up; but yeah, it's true, I know. I am the greatest."

"And so modest too," Harry noted.

"Whatever, stinky, you just better hope I don't drop you midflight."

"If you drop me, just remember: I brought you into the world and I can damn well take you out." Alouran gaped a moment before breaking into loud laughter, Harry joining him mere moments later. That was one of the things Harry loved best about Alouran; he was always able to take his mind off of things and let him partake in a little fun.

But the things he went through to learn such an ability… It was something Harry didn't like to think about.

o0o

Dean's lips were still tingling when he returned to Bobby's house. Sam stood standing at the front porch, his eyes lighting upon spotting him. His gaze swiveled as he searched for something, a frown furrowing his brows upon not finding it. Dean was able to read the question of his brother's face without the man speaking and released a quiet sigh, his hand once more going to his lips.

"Dean?" Sam prompted, noticing how his brother seemed more reserved than usual. Instead of answering him, Dean brushed past his brother and headed into the house, Sam hot on his heels and calling at his back. "Dean, what are you doing? Where's Harry?"

"I'm packin," Dean said, ignoring the second question. They hadn't unpacked, so it was a simple matter of storing their guns back in their cases and making sure all of the necessary supplies where there before he strapped the large bag around his shoulder, now heading for the kitchen.

Sam followed behind him, his annoyance carrying through in his voice. "I see that. The question is, though, why?"

Inside the kitchen, Bobby sat at the kitchen table frowning down at a book but he looked up when Dean entered. The man eyes took in the sight of him with his bag around his shoulder and raised a curious eyebrow.

"Where the hell are you two off to?" Bobby asked, pushing aside his book and standing to his feet.

Dean inclined his head, a small smile on his face. "I know you said we could stay the night… but I feel we should move out earlier—those evil ghosties and things aren't gonna just kill themselves, you know?" Bobby's eyes narrowed.

"Where's that other one?"

A muscle in Dean's jaw clenched, but other than that he gave no outward reaction. Still, Bobby saw the small tick and his eyes became pinpricks that gleamed with more insight than should be allowed. "He's around," Dean hedged, avoiding the question. "Look, thanks for everything Bobby, but we have to get going." Dean turned to walk away, expecting Sam to once more follow him, but Bobby's cool voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Dean was facing forward, so his widening eyes and almost slack-jawed expression went unnoticed by Bobby, but Sam saw and his worry only spiked higher. It took several long moments to regain his composure—several long moments that perhaps spoke more than what he said aloud. "I don't know what you're talkin about," Dean lied, not turning around.

Bobby gave a snort and sat back down, the chair screeching across the floor. "I may be a lot of things, but blind ain't one of em." Dean released a morose sigh and Sam's stare switched between the two of them, uncomprehending of what was going on but a cold sensation gripping his insides nonetheless.

"Dean?" Sam asked, pinning his older brother with his stare.

Dean gave another sigh and ran a hand across his stubbled face, his eyes pained as he looked toward his brother. "Harry left," he admitted, his gaze drifting toward the floor. At first Sam didn't react, the words registering in his brain but not making any sense.

"What you mean he left?" Sam asked in a slow voice, a hard edge to his tone that made Dean wince. "Did he go to the store or—"

"No," Dean bit out, resisting the urge to growl. "He left, Sam. As in he's gone." Before Dean could even blink Sam turned on his heel and rushed out the door, this time it being Dean who chased after his younger brother. Sam sprinted toward the direction he had saw Dean appear from while calling Harry's name, Dean not far behind and calling his name.

Once he reached a circle of cars that Harry would have had to climb over to escape from, he spun in a useless circle, a desperate quality to his eyes as he searched for the man he was just beginning to know and develop feelings for. Dean was a little out of breath from all the cursing he had done while chasing his brother and glared, bent over with his hands on his knees as he tried to take in some much needed air. Sam turned to him with a glare, his eyes flashing for a moment in the light.

"Where's Harry?" Sam demanded.

Having recovered, Dean stood to his full height and shook his head. "He's gone, Sam, back to whatever it was he was doing before he met us."

Sam choked, his disbelief evident. "What? That doesn't… that doesn't make any sense. I mean, he didn't even say—" He broke off without warning, his eyes going wide. "…You let him go?" he whispered, eyes narrowing in accusation.

Dean couldn't stop the small wince and Sam caught it, his expression clouding even further. "I can't force him to stay!" Dean said by way of defense, his own ire raising. "What do you want me to do Sam, strap him to the Impala to make sure he's always around? He has a life, Sam—a life outside of us. He has a mission… And so do we."

Sam was left speechless by his brother's heated argument, all of the fire leaving his gaze to be replaced by only hurt. "…I get that… but… Why didn't he at least tell me he was leaving? I would have—"

"Tried to make him stay, just like me," Dean finished, a humorless grin on his face. "Dude, your puppy dog eyes are illegal in several states, Harry wouldn't have stood a chance." An amused quirk rose to his younger brother's lips and Dean sighed, relieved he had managed to cheer him up—if only for the moment.

"I guess I understand in a way," Sam said, turning to look up at the cloudless November sky. "I just wonder if we'll see him again…"

Dean snorted, drawing his brother's attention. "Of course we will!" Sam raised a brow of confusion and Dean elaborated, "The more we hunt, the more likely we are to run into one of his demon spawn. Now, what are we required to do if such an incident were to occur…?"

Sam's grin matched his brother, an amused twinkling in his eyes.

o0o

After having a much needed shower and a quick rest, Harry guided Alouran once more to Luther's coven where they were greeted with open arms. Dean had informed them of his condition while he had been in a coma, and their relief that he was well was reassuring. It was almost cute how they swarmed him afterwards, showing off their continued use of their abilities and how they were improving in leaps and bounds. It would still be a while yet before they mastered their abilities, but they were well on their way and Harry admitted that he was quite proud.

However, after the pleasantries had come to an end Harry quieted all of the celebrating vampires—they used any excuse they could to have a party—so that he could tell them of the plan he had thought up. Soon the loud thump of the music was silenced and all the booze set aside, the vampires becoming serious in response to their own leader's demeanor.

Harry let his eyes rake over him, the love and devotion he felt to do his best for them almost overwhelming and reaffirming his desire to do everything in his power to help. That emotion filling him, Harry spoke.

"All of you gathered here know who I am and what my goal for being here is, so I shall forgo that. I'll admit, I haven't been in America long, but in my stint here I have yet to do a single thing—well, besides help out a group of amazing vampires, but that's beside the point." Said vampires grinned and puffed out their chest, causing Harry to roll his eyes in fondness. "However, just recently—yesterday in fact—I came to the decision that that just won't do. No matter how much I would love to travel across this great country and find every single one of my children possible… with the way things are, I just can't. There is, in essence, a seal over my powers and maybe even something over this entire country—so no, I decided I needed a new course of action." Smiling, Harry turned toward his best friend and the man returned the smile. "That's why I decided to make Alouran the new Dark Prime Minister of America!"

Instead of the smattering of applause and cheers as they had both expected, what they received instead were blanks stares, the vampires exchanging looks of confusion.

"Dark Prime Minister of whaaat?" Bo asked, articulate as always.

Harry sighed and ran a light hand through his hair, sharing an exasperated look with Alouran. "I'm sure you all know what a Prime Minister is, correct?" The vampires gave a slow nod. "I added the 'Dark' part for flavor, but you must agree that it gives the title a little… oomph, right?" Again, the vampires stared at each other but nodded, unsure if he were being serious or not.

"Don't worry," Alouran piped in, "he's from the Wizarding World—bad titles like that are everywhere."

"Shut up, you," Harry mock glared. "You know you like it. Anyway," he pressed on when Alouran grinned, "the 'of America' portion should be self-explanatory as well, and thus: the Dark Prime Minister of America!" Though it was obvious they didn't understand, the vampire's all nodded, nervous smiles on their faces.

Alouran rolled his eyes. "It means he's instilling a new government for all Dark creatures, one with me as the "president", if you will."

There was a collective 'ooh' as the vampires head's bobbed, comprehension donning.

"Thank you," Harry said in a dry tone. Alouran gave him a cocky thumbs up. "As Alouran said, there is no government for the Dark in America, and as a result, there is no order. This is a large task we plan on undergoing here, and will no doubt be difficult; as a result, we will need members for our newfound government…" Harry's gaze settled on Luther, causing all eyes to turn toward him, the dark-haired vampire gaping.

"You want… me?" Luther asked, overwhelmed. Already he was shaking his head. "N-no, I couldn't…" Harry just gave him a gentle smile, a large number of his defenses breaking. His coven also began shouting encouragements, yet still indecision shined in the vampire's eyes. The killing blow came when Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and batted her eyelashes.

"Luther, honey, just think of all the changes you could make for vampires—for all Dark creatures in the entire country." The vampire considered the possibilities, his eyes glazing over as he tried to envision a world with no more hiding or fear of constant persecution—it was distant and hard to grasp on to, but he saw it, what little breath he didn't need leaving him. It was a pipe dream, something unrealistic and beyond his wildest dreams… and yet, there Harry stood, offering him a chance to bring about something that was thought of as being impossible.

"Fine," Luther said, a small grin on his face as his coven cheered. "I'm in—but it'll take more than just a small handful of people to set up a government won't it? Uhg… it been decades since I've opened a history book, how does shit like this even work?"

"Ah, ah, ah," Harry tsked, a large grin on his face. "You forget, I happen to be the King of Dae—I have memories of before you were in diapers." If the coven leader could have, he would have blushed. The rest of the vampires howled in laughter, but were quieted when Harry turned his raised eyebrows upon them. "But the point is, everything has a start—and this is ours. Yes, right now we only have a small group of people, but what is important is that we set up the foundations."

"Meaning?" Luther frowned.

Alouran stepped forward, an almost arrogant swagger to his gait. It was off put by his large grin. "I got this," he said and Harry raised his hands as if to say, 'be my guest.' " What I think our great and powerful leader here is trying to say is… he wants to create a town."

"What?" Luther exploded, his own shock mirrored by his coven. Harry nodded, allowing Alouran to explain in his place. This was for the best after all—Alouran was their Prime Minister, so they should learn to trust his insight and judgment. Although it was on rare day's he showed it, Alouran was a brilliant man and capable leader.

However… that hadn't always been the case. Like most things, experience came with making mistakes, and Alouran had made quite a few of those in his lifetime.

"Well, at this stage it's more like a settlement… or a colony," Alouran admitted, his arms crossed at his chest and head tilted. "Size isn't important—insert penis joke here—what's important is that we have somewhere for people to live… like this barn for example." Harry gave his friend a bland stare for his 'penis joke' comment, but let it slide.

"Dude, what?" Bo spoke up, shaking his head. "No! We are not moving out of here so you can—"

"Who said anything about you moving?" Harry asked. Bo's mouth shut with a snap and Harry smiled, hoping to placate him. He didn't want to force his will onto them, but at the same time, if they were to have a beginning, a little persuading would be necessary.

Alouran nodded. "I didn't mean that you guys have to move; quite the opposite! I think it's time we did a little remodeling."

"Remodeling?" Luther parroted, looking around the barn. It had become their home over the few decades they had been living there, and they had grown to love its simplistic feel. Sure, it wasn't a mansion or even a seedy motel room, but it was home.

"Expansion!" Alouran agreed, throwing his arms to the side in an exaggerated manner. "This place needs to be bigger—like a hotel!"

"I thought we were making a town," Kate threw in, frowning. "Not some sort of resort…"

"Come on guys, keep up!" Alouran whined, sobering when Harry threw him a quick glance. The incubus gave a quiet cough. "I mean, yeah, it will become a town, but we can't make houses in a day. Well… Harry could, but he's just not there yet. So instead, we'll have to build them ourselves, and once we get new workers, they could live here and help with the building of our new town—we'll call it: Alourantopia!"

Harry snorted. Bo still had a displeased frown on his face. "I don't know man," he sighed. "That sounds like a lot of… work."

"Of course its work!" Alouran snapped.

"Come on guys," Luther stepped in, seeing the rebellious looks rising to his coven's face. "We all want this, right?" They gave unsure nods. "Well, if we do, we have to work for it."

"Rome wasn't built in a day," Harry tossed in for good measure.

"Fine," Bo huffed, a mulish expression on his face. "What else do we have to do?"

Alouran's grin was almost maniacal in appearance.

o0o

It had been three days since reconstruction began on the barn, and with a workforce that never needed sleep combined with a wizard capable of wandless magic, the results were progressing far faster then had they been a team of same numbered humans. They had to knock down both the east and west wall for more room to expand, and already they had run across their first problem: the forest.

Vampires could live anywhere, whether it be the forest or no, but some of the creatures who may one day come to live in the settlement might enjoy the forest, so Harry was reluctant to tear it down, even to further his own goals. In the end, Alouran convinced him to clear a few acres of land—"Harry, these trees branch off for miles! No one will miss them!"—and construction continued. At the pace they were going, they would have a hotel-like facility in less than two weeks, and then after that, they could began the "recruitment" process, and thanks to the little "deal" he had made with the Winchester family, well…

Ah! Speak of the devil. Harry was just on his way into town for supplies when his phone rang. It was impossible to get reception in the forest—that was something else to consider; would it be possible to install phone lines?—but he had set up a listening charm in his hotel room that allowed him to always hear what was going on, making it so that he would never miss a call. It could get a little annoying when the cleaning lady appeared, but that was a price he was willing to pay to make sure he would always know when the device Sam had given him went off.

With a quiet pop, Harry was back in his room and he rushed over to the bedside table to lift the ringing contraption in his hand. He hadn't spoken to Sam or Dean since he had parted from them—without even a goodbye to Sam. While he knew that it should be he who called them first, he just couldn't bring himself too, no matter how much he desired it. Now though, he stared down at the screen which read 'Sam' and felt his heart lurch in his chest.

Fingers quaking, he flipped the phone open and pressed the small talk button before holding it to his ear, his breath harsher than intended. "…Hello?" he asked, as if afraid the person on the other end were a terrifying monster.

"…Harry," Sam breathed, the sound of his own name flowing like water from the man's lip filling him with a warmth that spread throughout his entire body.

"Sam," Harry choked, throat clogged by the sudden overwhelming feelings of longing and regret he felt for leaving them. He knew they would see each other again—maybe even soon—and they could still talk through cell phones, but for one terrible moment he wished he didn't have such responsibilities that forced him to part from them. As quickly as it came he pushed the feeling away, giving his head a slight shake to clear it. He bit his lip as he waited for Sam to respond, but the only sound that met him was silence.

"Sam?" Harry asked.

"Yeah?"

"…I'm sorry." He waited with baited breath from Sam to respond, biting his lip to the point of almost drawing blood. At long last, Sam gave a tired sigh.

"I know Harry; it's okay."

Harry stared at the phone in confusion, his brow furrowed and bottom lip still being worried between his teeth. "No," he denied, his heart constricting. "No, Sam, it's not okay. I shouldn't have left without saying goodbye to you; it's—it's not fair…" Again, silence met his proclamation, his own worried face staring back at him from a mirror along the far wall.

"You're right," Sam agreed. "You should have said goodbye—Harry, I… That really hurt me…"

Harry's eyes closed in pain, feeling as if a knife had driven itself into his heart and twisted. "Sammy, I'm so sorry," he breathed. "I just… things became too much for me, and I ran away… I'm sorry; I never meant to hurt you."

He heard Sam draw in a deep breath and steeled himself for whatever rebuking words Sam had for him. "I understand," Sam said, making Harry still and blink in astonishment. "I don't blame you—I know what it's like to want to just… get away."

"Sam?"

"Never mind, it's not important," Sam sighed. "Anyway—that's not why I called."

Harry pressed his ear against the phone and listened as the man on the other end spoke. Once he reached the end of his story, his lips were pulled back in a snarl and he paced the length of his room in righteous agitation.

"Harry?" came Sam's concerned voice, causing him to stop. The sound of his soul mate's voice soothed his frazzled nerves and he drew in a deep breath, his anger still simmering just beneath the surface. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Harry said, trying to make his voice as calm as possible while he felt anything but. "You and Dean stay there; I need to talk to Alouran and Luther and then I'll be on my way."

"Luther? You're with the vampires?"

Harry's lip quirked up into a humorless smile. "Yeah, and I can just bet that they won't be too happy about this."

o0o

Sam hung up his cell phone with a sigh a rand a hand through his hair, his gaze drifting up toward the sky. It was cloudy in Red Lodge, Montana, blocking out the evening sun and casting an almost dreary shadow across the town. At the moment, that vague dampness of gloom described Sam's current state perfectly.

While he claimed to understand and accept Harry's sudden departure without so much as a goodbye, what hurt him the most was how it had only been he who hadn't received one—sure, Bobby hadn't either, but Dean had and that simple detail had his brain going in circles.

He and Dean had never discussed the relationship they had with Harry, but they acknowledged it on a subconscious level and accepted it. Sam was okay with the whole "sharing" thing; during their childhood, Dean had given up everything he ever had for him and even now, in a way he was still doing it by not putting up much of a fight with him also being with Harry. Their father had drilled it into his head to always put his brother first, and Sam was still unsure if he was okay with that or not.

But he had always assumed that in Harry's eyes, he and Dean were equal. He never seemed to favor either of them over the other—that is, until recently. Sam tried to convince himself that it didn't mean anything that his brother received a goodbye and he didn't; he was just being paranoid. Yet, he couldn't shake off the hurt—that somehow, Harry cared more about Dean than him and that one day they both would leave him behind.

Their father had already left, and the two people who were close to his heart were Harry and Dean. If they were to leave him too… he just didn't know what he would do. Sam hadn't even noticed he'd been walking until he stopped in front of the Impala, a stray ray of light piercing through the clouds to reflect off the metal and blind him.

He blinked multiple times and shook his head, pushing his emotions away into a little corner and climbing into the car. His brother was bobbing his head to the rock music playing from the speakers, but he turned it down and turned to his brother when the taller man entered.

"So?" Dean asked, quirking a brow.

Sam stared at him, his own eyebrows raised in confusion. "So what?"

"Harry?" Dean questioned, his face saying it should be obvious. "So what did he say? Is he comin or what?"

"Oh," Sam sighed, turning to look down at the dashboard. "Yeah, he's coming—and he said he's bringing that vampire with him. Luther."

Dean paused in turning the key in the ignition to stare at him in surprise. "Luther? He's bringin a vampire to a place where one shows up dead?" Sam shrugged, gazing out the window as the car rumbled to life and they pulled away from the police station they had gathered information in.

"I don't know, it makes sense in a way," Sam said. "I mean, vampires tend to travel in groups, so most likely there are more out there—and who better to find and talk to a vampire than another vampire?"

"Harry," Dean scoffed.

Sam gave a quiet chuckle, having to agree. The thing was, he didn't know why Harry was bringing Luther, or what the man could accomplish that Harry himself couldn't. Harry was not only better suited to talking to the demons, he was also capable of helping them deal with the one who had killed it—most likely another hunter. Before Sam could think too much on the subject, Dean shot a wary glance at the backseat through the rearview mirror.

"You don't think he's gonna pop into the back seat like he did last time, do you?"

Sam gave a snort of amusement at the memory. "I don't know—he might."

"I hope not," Dean grumbled, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "I damn near crashed last time, and if he makes me scratch my baby I swear to god I'll—" Sam gave a sudden cough.

Dean groaned, his eyes not straying away from the road. "He's behind me isn't he?" Sam just nodded, trying to hide his amusement and failing. Dean looked up into the review mirror and gave his most charming smile when he saw Harry and the black-haired vampire beside him. "Harry! I didn't hear you pop in."

Harry gave him a deadpan stare, a single brow raised. "I've been practicing. Now, what were you saying you were going to do to me?" Dean's expression turned into a leer and Harry scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Never mind; I don't want to know after all." Dean pouted, causing Harry to give him a fond smile before he turned toward Sam, the smile slipping. Their eyes met, all amusement gone from both their gazes.

"Harry," Sam said, nodding. Harry bit his lip and nodded back, not knowing what else to do. Next, Sam twisted further in his seat to look back at the vampire sitting next to him. "Hello, uh… with all the commotion going on last time, we never introduced ourselves. I'm Sam, and this is my brother, Dean." He extended his hand to shake but the vampire just stared at it, his expression blank. A nervous smile on his face, Sam dropped his hand and shared a look with his brother.

"Luther, be nice," Harry sighed, an admonishing look on his face. "They're sorry for breaking into your home, stealing your possessions and trying to kill you and your family—aren't you boys?"

"O-Of course we are!" Sam blustered, unnerved by Harry's razor sharp smile. Dean was quick to agree, his head bobbing so hard Sam wondered how his neck didn't snap. Luther gave a deep chuckle, an amused curl to his lips.

"You have a tight leash on your pets I see," Luther mocked, throwing words at them that Dean has used on him once before. Dean's face began clouding in anger and Harry leaped forth to stop the no doubt ensuing argument.

"They're not my pets," Harry frowned, his tone of voice causing Luther to appear mollified. "They're my soul mates, and they're not bad people—really. If you all give each other a chance, I'm sure you'll all be friends."

Dean scoffed, still throwing heated glares at Luther as he drove and Sam frowned, unsure but willing to at least try. Luther gave an imperious sniff and turned to gaze out the window, ignoring both hunters with purpose. Harry just sighed and shook his head. It was going to be a long and tiresome hunt.